Latch



March 1964 A. s. VAN sYoc, SR 3,126,189

LATCH Filed March 1, 1962 INVENTOR. AUBUAA/ 61 WW 6706.56"

4 TTOF/f/iVJ United States Patent 3,126,189 LATCH Auburn G. Van Syoc, Sin, Balding, Mich, assigrior to Rem Corporation, Belding, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Mar. 1, 1962, Ser. N 176,715 6 Claims. (Cl. 248-188) This invention relates to latch mechanisms for collapsible furniture legs, and particularly to a latch mechanism which is safe and positive in its action and lends structural rigidity to the leg assembly.

In the design of collapsible furniture such as bridge tables or the like, it has long been a problem to provide a latch mechanism which locks itself positively into place when the leg is erected, compensates for wear of the mechanism to keep the leg from becoming wobbly after prolonged use, and cannot be released except by a purposeful actuation of the mechanism. Particularly as to the latter feature, various solutions generally related to the present one have previously been proposed, but previous solutions have been objectionable because they required parts extending sideways from the legs so as to interfere with the freedom of movement of a person sitting at the table, and secondly, previous releasing devices of the type proposed herein have been awkward to handle because it took a hand movement in one direction to unlatch the leg and a movement in another direction to fold it.

The present invention solves all these problems and in addition provides additional structural strength to the table and leg assembly by bracing the corner of the table and supporting the leg against undesirable movement in all directions. This is achieved by providing a guide channel for the leg for lateral and transverse support, and by providing a spring-loaded latch which engages a specially shaped keeper in the guide plates for holding the leg firmly in place. A grip-type release is hinged coaxially with the leg so that the grip is not only out of the way when the leg is erected, but that a squeezing or pushing movement of the grip against the leg releases the latch and folds the leg in one continuous movement.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a latch mechanism for collapsible furniture legs which is positive in its action, compensates for wear, and does not interfere with the freedom of movement of the user. I

This and other objects of this invention will become apparent from a perusal of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the underside of a corner of a table equipped with the mechanism of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the hinge bracket;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the hinge bracket showing a portion of the leg;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the entire assembly showing the operation of the latch releasing grip; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the folding pattern of the legs.

Basically, the mechanism of this invention consists of a hinge bracket in which the leg and a hand grip are coaxially hinged. The leg has a latch positioned transversely through it, the latch being spring-loaded so as to be forced against the hinge bracket. The hinge bracket has a keeper formed in it into which the latch can snap when the leg is fully erected. The walls of the keeper are slanted so that as the mechanism wears, the latch simply travels farther into the keeper, but is never loose. The lateral ends of the latch extend through apertures in the side plates of the grip which normally leave it free to move. When the grip is squeezed or pushed against the leg, however, an oblique edge of the aperture engages the crown of the latch and pushes it downward out of the keeper. A continuing push on the grip thereupon causes the leg to fold.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a portion of a table 10 which has a depending shoulder 12 along its edge. In the corner 14, the shoulder 12 is recessed as at 16 to accept a reinforcing plate 18. The reinforcing plate 18 has a pair of curved flanges 20 which match the shape of the recess 16 and keep sharp edges out of the Way of the user. Screw holes 22 match the position of screw holes 24 in mounting plates 26, 28 of the hinge bracket 36. A pair of vertical parallel guide plates 32, 34 depend from each of the mounting plates 26, 28. The guide plates 32, 34 are oriented at a slight angle from the bisecting plane of the table corner so that the legs 38 fold without intersecting one another, as best shown in FIG. 5. The guide plates 32, 34 are joined at their lower ends by a rounded bridge 36 which embraces half the perimeter of the leg 38 in its erected position at a point directly below the hinge pin 40 inserted in opening 42 of the guide plates 32, 34. A keeper 44 is formed in each of the guide plates 32, 34 as best shown in FIG. 2. The walls 46, 48 of the keeper 44 converge toward the hinge pin opening 42 so that the latch 50 becomes wedged in the keeper 44 regardless of any reasonable wear of the sides 46, 48 of the keeper 44. For this purpose, the sides 52, 54 of the latch Sil may be parallel as indicated in FIG. 4, or converging as indicated in FIG. 2. In either event, the rounded crown 56 of the latch 50 serves to guide the latch 5i] into position in the keeper 44. The latch 50 is equipped with an integrally formed plate 57 which is received in the spring 52 to prevent sideward move ment of latch 50.

Referring now again to FIGS. 1 and 4, the grip 60 is composed of a pair of side plates 62, 64 which are parallel and adjacent to the guide plates 32, 34 and are hinged on the hinge pin 40. The side plates 62, 64 are joined together by an arcuate bridge portion 66, and each of the side plates has an aperture 68 formed therein through which the ends of latch 50 protrude. As will be best seen in FIG. 4, the latch 50 is capable of vertical movement in slots 70 of leg 38 and is biased upwardly by a spring 72 whose lower end rests against the inside of throat 74 formed in leg 38. If the grip 60 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 4 by pushing the bridge portion d6 into alignment with the bridge 36 of the hinge bracket 36, the bridge 76 of aperture 68 engages the rounded crown 56 of latch 50 and forces it downwardly against the bias of spring 72 until it comes out of the keeper 44. As soon as this happens, the pressure of bridge portion 66 against leg 38 causes leg 38 to fold by rotating it counterclockwise about its hinge pivot 40. When the leg 33 is completely folded into a horizontal position, the crown 56 of latch 50 engages'the rounded notch 78 formed in each of the guide plates 32, 34. The engagement of crown 56 with notch 78 is sufficient to maintain the legs in their folded position, but the parts act as a detent which can be released by pulling the leg 38 downwardly toward its erected position.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a simple, structurally strong, and effective mechanism for assuring positive locking of a furniture leg in its erected position, yet easy unlatching and folding of the leg by a continuous push on the releasing grip in the direction in which the leg folds. It should be noted that the coaxial hinging of the grip and the leg makes it possible to extend the grip outwardly of the leg in a direction in which it will not interfere with the freedom of movement of a person sitting at the table. At the same time, the large size of the guard plates made possible by this 59 arrangement permits a considerable spacing between the hinge pivot 40 and the latch 50 to make the assembly unusually strong. At the same time, as will readily be realized, the reinforcing plate with its curved flanges, together with the hinge bracket, provide a structure which not only reinforces the corner of the table and distributes the load over a greater area, but also holds the leg 38 firmly against displacement in any direction. It should further be understood that the embodiment described in the foregoing specification is illustrative only, and that the invention is not to be limited thereby, but is to be interpreted to encompass all of the reasonable scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A latch mechanism for a collapsible furniture leg, comprising: hinge means for pivotally supporting said leg, resiliently biased latch means carried by said leg and engageable with a stationary keeper, and grip means hinged generally coaxially with said leg and having a wedge surface formed thereon, said wedge surface engaging said latch means to force said latch means out of said keeper when said grip is squeezed against said leg.

2. A latch mechanism for a collapsible furniture leg, comprising: a hinge bracket having a pair of parallel guide plates embracing said leg to prevent lateral move ment thereof, said guide plates having a keeper formed therein, said keeper having converging walls; means pivotally mounting said leg in said hinge bracket; a grip hinged coaxially with said leg; and a latch carried by said leg and having opposing sides resiliently biased into engagement with said converging walls of said keeper; said grip having an aperture formed therein, said latch protruding through said aperture in a direction generally parallel to the axis of said hinge so that when said grip is squeezed against said leg, an edge of said aperture forces said latch out of said keeper.

3. A latch mechanism for a collapsible furniture leg, comprising: a hinge bracket having a pair of parallel guide plates embracing said leg to prevent lateral movement thereof, said guide plates having a keeper formed therein, said keeper having converging walls, said guide plates being joined by a bridge of a shape complementary to that of said leg so as to form a support for said leg limiting its erecting movement; means pivotally mounting said leg in said hinge bracket; a grip hinged coaxially with said leg; and a latch carried by said leg and having opposing sides spring-biased into engagement with said converging walls of said keeper; said grip having an aperture formed therein, said latch protruding through said aperture, and said aperture being so shaped and positioned that when said grip is squeezed against said leg, an edge of said aperture forces said latch out of said keeper.

4. A latch mechanism for a collapsible furniture leg, comprising: a hinge bracket having a pair of parallel guide plates embracing said leg to prevent lateral movement thereof, said guide plates each having a keeper formed therein, said keeper having converging walls, said guide plates being joined by a bridge of a shape complementary to that of said leg so as to form a support for said leg limiting its erecting movement; means pivotally mounting said leg in said hinge bracket; a grip hinged coaxially with said leg and having a bridge portion alignable with said bridge on said hinge member; and a latch carried by said leg and having opposing sides spring-biased into engagement with said converging walls of said notch; said grip having a generally wedgeshaped aperture formed therein, said latch protruding through said aperture, and said aperture being so positioned that when said bridge and bridge portion are brought into alignment, an edge of said aperture forces said latch out of said keeper.

5. A latch mechanism for a collapsible furniture leg, comprising: a rigid reinforcing plate; a hinge bracket secured to said reinforcing plate, said hinge bracket having a pair of parallel guide plates embracing said leg to form a guide channel for said leg and to prevent lateral movement thereof, said guide plates each having a keeper formed therein, said keeper having converging walls, said guide plates being joined by a bridge of a shape complementary to that of said leg so as to form a support for said leg in its erected position and to limit its erecting movement; means pivotally mounting said leg in said hinge bracket; a grip hinged coaxially with said leg and having a bridge portion alignable with said bridge on said hinge member; a latch carried by said leg and having a rounded crown and converging sides springbiased into engagement with said converging walls of said notch; said grip having a generally wedge-shaped aperture formed therein, said latch protruding through said aperture, and said aperture being so positioned that when said bridge and bridge portion are brought into alignment, an edge of said aperture forces said latch out of said notch; and a pair of rounded notches in said guide plate arranged to coact with said crown to form a detent mechanism to releasably hold said leg in its collapsed position.

6. A latch mechanism for a collapsible furniture leg, comprising: a hinge bracket pivotally mounting said leg and including a guide plate having a keeper notch formed therein; a grip hinged coaxially with said leg; and a latch bar carried by said leg and having an end portion resiliently biased into engagement with said keeper notch to hold said leg in extended position; said grip having an aperture formed therein, one wall of which forms a cam surface, said end portion of said latch protruding through said aperture in a direction generally parallel to the axis of said hinge so that when said grip is squeezed against said leg, said cam surface of said aperture forces said latch out of said keeper notch to release said leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,855,857 Harman Apr. 26, 1932 1,879,945 OConnor Sept. 27, 1932 1,910,974 Vance May 23, 1933 1,916,823 Boeswinkle July 4, 1933 2,574,592 Schaffer Nov. 13, 1951 

1. A LATCH MECHANISM FOR A COLLAPSIBLE FURNITURE LEG, COMPRISING: HINGE MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID LEG, RESILIENTLY BIASED LATCH MEANS CARRIED BY SAID LEG AND ENGAGEABLE WITH A STATIONARY KEEPER, AND GRIP MEANS HINGED GENERALLY COAXIALLY WITH SAID LEG AND HAVING A WEDGE SURFACE FORMED THEREON, SAID WEDGE SURFACE ENGAGING SAID LATCH MEANS TO FORCE SAID LATCH MEANS OUT OF SAID KEEPER WHEN SAID GRIP IS SQUEEZED AGAINST SAID LEG. 